Corona virus commonly known as covid-19 has remained a big threat globally as it spread more faster than any other pandemic in the world ,this has also continued to impact negatively on other health related services as government has sidelined Sexual Reproductive Health Rights Information and services (SRHR) of young people to mostly concentrate on the deadly pandemic.
The virus was first confirmed in Uganda on Saturday 21st march 2020 of a 33years old Ugandan National who traveled from Dubai, however the virus today has remained a big threat to the country with raising numbers each and every day (currently Uganda has registered more than 1,000).
A section of vulnerable groups in the community affected by HIV/ AIDs have expressed concern on the challenges they are grappling with in regards to accessing services. According to Koboko district Art records, the district has a total of number of 6601 clients enrolled on Art including transfer- ins since Koboko started Art services .However according to Achidri Rashul the In-charge of Art clinic at Koboko hospital, the outbreak of the pandemic has negatively affected the number of people attending services as witnessed by the dropping number of active cases. He says In the last quarter’s(before the outbreak of covid-19), the number of active client was 1900 compared to this quarter(after the outbreak of covid-19) which dropped to 1730 and out of the total number enrolled some of them have died, transferred out, dropped and lost to follow-up. The in- charge further says from March to May 2020 more than 155 clients missed their appointments with only 65 who have been refilled from homes and others at the facility.
He further says due to the outbreak of covid-19, Koboko hospital has continued to register low retention on Art services, more especially on clients who are non-nationals and rural clients due to long distance and suspension of both private and public transport means in the country
As of Koboko hospital, the (IAC) Intensive Adherence Counseling has become low since according to the Ministry guidelines which say that non-suppressed clients or clients whose viral load is high should have three (3) adherence counseling sessions in an interval of 1 month apart to assess the clients Adherence. However, due to the COVID-19 situation, refill has been done to accommodate six months which has made it hard to determine the client’s adherence.
Activities like Home based Counseling, lost to follow-up of clients and targeted testing points (hot spots) APN (Assisted Partner Notification), Index testing and Condom distribution have been canceled. This therefore greatly limits achievement of the 95-95-95 Global target absorbed by the Ministry of Health (MoH).
As a facility during this lockdown period we developed same strategies which hopefully will help HIV clients, HEP-B and TB patients to easily access services amid the lockdown which include;
Community drug fills which is done by the CBOs, Expert Clients and Peer Mothers. This activity helps the facility to check the clients viral load due dates, whether the client is for IAC and reasons why they missed their appointments as they take this drugs homes.
CCLAD (Community client lead drug refill) in this approach clients are grouped from the numbers of three to six were one client comes in a month to refill for the rest of the members in the group.
Boarder community drug refill mostly done for clients who are in Congo whose drugs are taken to the boarder line to get their drugs refill done.
CDDP( Community drug distribution points) mostly done by CBOs and FTDR this are clients who get long drug refills only for suppressed and stable clients an ART.
HIV and AIDS has become the most affected service delivery point in Uganda, while interacting with clients on some of the challenges they face this is what they had to say;


Peer mother: Says the number of mothers who attends clinics days have reduced meaning that there is high increase in missed appointments and lost to follow-up clients for more than three months which is not in line with Ministry of Health Guidelines that a client who misses one day should be followed. As a peer mother we normally phone those who are due for their rapid test, their blood samples then taken to the facility laboratory.
Expert client: In his comments he said that due to COVID-19 there is increase in missed appointment, lost clients on Art, this therefore prompts us to travel for a long distance to follow-up these client and refill their drugs at homes. However due to stigma, clients register wrong addresses and details during their dates of enrollment at the facility.
Complied by
Lomo Charles and Adidi Rashul